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Thursday, December 31, 2015

I got this survey from Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner! I'm always so excited to do it every year because I love seeing everyone's favorites! I love to see what everyone else loved so I can creep on them and add their books to my TBR lmao I hope this is what people are doing to me too lol So, here's my answers!

Number Of Books You Read: 103!!!Number of Re-Reads: 1 (And that one was for a Module for a class I was taking :\ Terrible I know!!!)Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary! It's my favorite genre! I always read the most of them!

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

*dodges tomatoes* Idk... It was too all over the place for me. I have ben told though that if I listen to it on audio I'll like it 100% better! Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCourEhhh everyone said this was a contemp romance, but it read more like a contemp. Then the plot was super slow. I was excited for this one too *pouts* (Ps, this one was a back list title!)

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

I was NOT expecting to love The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett like I did. I mean it mentions cadavers in the synopsis! But I started reading this right before I went on a cruise and I didn't want to put it down. I was literally reading it in the middle of a cruise ship casino lmao

I have been trying to convince my mom to read this for FOREVER, but she finally took the plunge and is currently binging the series. She's on Fairest and I'm so happy to finally be able to fangirl with her. She was even the one who asked me if I wanted to road trip to see her three hours away from us when she comes to Dallas in Feb of next year. I'm normally the one who begs lol

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

Kylie Scott! She's an NA author, but I binge listened to entire Stage Dive series and I encourage everyone to give her a try!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys and actually my current read (at the time this was posted) Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. Before you throw tomatoes at me, I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction. Especialy those that talk about discrimination and such. But I had to read one for my Literature for Youth class and another because it sounded awesome and I've fallen for both.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Between this and Damage Done was a SUPER hard choice! But Six of Crows was really amazing with a diverse blend of characters and I can't wait to see what they get up to in the upcoming books!!!! (Plus, let's be honest..... Nina + Mattahis FTW)

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

11. Most memorable character of 2015?

Willowdean Dickson from Dumplin by Julie Murphy! Her confidence and beauty screams REMEMBER ME! There's no way you can forget her lol

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi! It was hard to get through but only because of the subject matter. His thoughts weren't always the nicest, but at the same time, no one could really expect them to be any different.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

This is Where it Ends is about a school shooting so already it's about something serious. Add that to the diversity in it and it makes it a book that made me think for so many different reasons. I discussed a lot of them in my review.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

When George by Alex Gino came out I had no idea what it was about because it was a children's book. But then EVERYONE started talking about it and telling everyone else to read it, so I went and picked it up. And on the first page I fell in love.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

Jack from The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett.... I mean that scene in front of the window in the attic?! HOLY. HOTNESS.

23. Best 2015 debut you read?

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. This one left me with an open mouth in a puddle of feels!

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Winter by Marissa Meyer& JA Court of Thorns and Rose by Sarah J. Maas

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

This entire series is THE. BEST. It's hilarious. So much so I was in pubic laughing out loud and not caring what people thought of me!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

I tried SO hard not to add any 2016 reads to this one, but I had to with this one. I didn't cry with any other book this year.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction so I didn't add this one right away... (Which is why I'm still reading it now lol) But so far it's amazing and this race is super cool!

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Easy... 99 Days by Katie Cotugno. Blahhhh the MC learned NOTHING in this story. She kept doing the same things over again and it got annoying.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?

Fangirl Confessions run by Tika! She is hilarious and I've come to realize we have so many bookish things in common!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?

George by Alex Gino. Check it out if you have time! "This book paves the way for not only other books like this to come out, but also for transgender children to be brave and show us who they really are. And this is what matters most. Let children be confident in who they are. Let them be happy. Support them. Do whatever it takes to ensure their happiness. Not only with children, but EVERYONE. "

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?

I got my grades back from school (if you didn't know, I'm in school for Library science) and I made all A's!!! Also, I hit 100,000+ page views on my blog!

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Balancing review books with school books. It was a little trying, but I managed to get back on track!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Weirdly it was my review of the movie Insurgent that I wasn't exactly fond of lol It got 350 pageviews!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Any reviews. Since mostly bloggers are looking at each other's sites we tend to not look at their reviews and just look at their ratings. && also my Class Act posts! I took a course where I could read some YA and children's books for class and then blog about them!

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Esty. I have seen some AMAZING bookish things on that site! You bookish people are talented lol

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Yes! I challenged myself to read more Diversely with the Dive into Diversity challenge! And I enjoyed every minute of it. I've learned so much about so many different cultures, orientations, etc and I'm definitely proud I opened my mind up to these reads! I also participated in the Prequel/Sequel challenge and rocked that one!But my personal challenges of reading more historical fiction and the Around the World challenge... Yeah that was a fail lol

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?

The Weight of Feathers I bought and everything, I just never got around to reading it. And None of the Above, I even met I.W. Gregorio at #RT and I tried getting her book, but she didn't have any! I've now borrowed it from my library and am itching to read it in 2016!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

&

The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

We all know I'm a super fan of Meyer's... I can't wait to read her new series! I'm sure I'll fangirl over this one too!

No, historical fiction isn't my thing, but a POC on the cover certainly is. And that description.... YES. PLEASE. GIVE IT TO ME NOW.

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?

1. Comment on more blogs.

2. Talk more on Twitter.

3. Stay on top of cross posting my reviews more.

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

This is the only 2016 I've read so far, but I'm about 85% sure I would've picked this one anyways. I loved this book and I hope everyone reads it. From it's featured diversity to the super crazy plot to the puddle of feels it will leave you in at the end. It was all so good.

Thank you again Jamie for this super fun survey! I love doing this every year!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

This bookish meme tells the blogosphere what we're waiting patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) for! It's hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!

The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl? Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is . . . Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life. On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender-fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

Expected Publication: February 2, 2016

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Why I'm waiting: As y'all know I'm hosting a Diverse Reads challenge this year. It was pretty unexpected, but something I'm definitely proud of. I can't WAIT to read this one and feature it through my challenge. Also, this book just sounds DAMN GOOD. I mean, RILEY IS A BLOGGER. How is that not interesting to other bloggers? lol Plus, it says that Riley finds "friends, a life line, and a cause to believe in..." Can't say I can't identify with that as a blogger.... So, yeah, if you haven't noticed from my rambling, I'M SO EXCITED for this book!

Monday, December 28, 2015

This year was a pretty epic year for books. I read so many amazing books and I'm glad I was able to share them with you all! Now I want to show you the best of the best..... One lucky winner will get to choose one for me to share with them again!!!! So, I think I'll break it up by genre.

Thrillers:

Someone asked me about my favorite thrillers for the year and since this is my favorite genre, I wanted to make sure it was represented!

5. First & Then by Emma Mills: I loved this one so much because it was so unexpected. I added it to my TBR late, but when I finally did read it, I LOVED it. Football and romance together always equals amazing for me!

6. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway: I loved this story and have said many, MANY times that I would love to see it as a Lifetime movie lol This one was so good and I can't wait to read more by her!

Runner-Up: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

Contemporaries:

I did this one seperate because some of these focused more on the character than the romance and I thought that was pretty awesome.

7. What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi: This one includes romance yes, but I liked the way growth of Ryden more. And to see all that he went through as he raised Hope made me like his character even more!

8. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: Dessen's books are mostly about the MC's growth and their lives. There are some swoony moments, but mostly it's much like her others.

Runner-Up: This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (I KNOW it's a 2016 read, but I read it this year! This is why I'm counting it as a runner up!)

Diverse Reads:

These are from any topic that makes the book diverse. I ESPECIALLY wanted to make sure these were heard about!

10. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy: I loved Willowdean and her confidence but I also loved the way the book was told. I loved that she was ok with how she looked and that most of her time was spent convincing others that she was fine instead of trying to fit in. Thank you Murphy for helping convince people to feel comfortable in the skin they've been given.

11. George by Alex Gino: I loved this one so much because it is kid's lit! I haven't read anything else like this one and I was so happy that Gino wrote this story. More and more kids are identifying with themselves at a younger age and I was so happy that Gino showed them IT'S OK TO BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

12. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: I remember being interested in this one because the author was a POC. But when I started reading it, I fell even more in love with it. This book was so well done and had an amazing plot twist! So good!!!

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About Me

29 years young. College grad. Working as a Youth Services Specialist. Masters from ALA accredited Univ. of North Texas (Library Science with a Youth Services certificate!) so that I can spread the word of literature to the youth. Books are a vacation and can take you anywhere you want to go... So follow me as I let books "Take Me Away... On the Pages of their Story."

Currently Reading

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Currently Listening:

A Stranger in the House by Shari LaPena

To all publishers and authors:

I do accept books (only MG/YA/NA)to be reviewed from big/small publishers or from any authors. I do not accept E-books. Also, I try not to review any books too far in advance of the publication date. Anyway, don’t hesitate to email me at pnh002@gmail.com.